


An Almost Belated Birthday

by KazueEmiko



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Party, Birthday Presents, F/F, Fluff, Nice Hubert, Teddy Bears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24873880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazueEmiko/pseuds/KazueEmiko
Summary: Edelgard's birthday is here and so many students gave her birthday wishes. However, her mood slowly soured as Byleth seems to be the only person who didn't... especially when she doesn't show up to her birthday party.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 1
Kudos: 91





	An Almost Belated Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, I think it's a belated birthday present for Edelgard! I worked on it a few days ago, but alas, it came in a bit late. Hope you enjoy this fluff! Happy Belated Birthday to Edelgard. :)

Expectations were something Edelgard tried to avoid, and it was not because of how high she set them. After the trials and tribulations she underwent throughout her life, there was no point in having them. It saved her from getting hurt any more than she had to. But sometimes, hidden expectations were created, and it gnawed at her until she could bear it no longer.

Today was a prime example of that during lecture.

As their professor called on the students to the front of the room, their private conversations and questions barely audible, the rest of the class were to self-study. Though it appeared that only some took their education seriously. Many of the students chattered amongst themselves, their eyes bright and starry about the newest gossip or Anna stopping by with her foreign products, their wallets ready to be empty. Even the transferred students hoping for guidance from Byleth, such as Sylvain and Ingrid, the newest addition to the Black Eagles classroom, were heard slapping their feathered pens out of each other’s grip.

“Edie.”

Edelgard looked up from her notes, her eyes set on two of her classmates. Dorothea and Caspar, one crossing their arms, another on their hips, beamed at their house leader. She raised her brows.

“Is something the matter?” she asked. Then, without giving time for them to reply, she raised her hand and frowned. “Wait— If you’re going to wish me Happy Birthday, I want to thank you for the kind wishes.”

“Huh? But that’s not—“

“It’s okay,” she interrupted Dorothea. “I know what you’re going to say, so you don’t need to say it.”

“Sounds like someone’s gotten one too many birthday wishes,” Caspar chuckled.

“One too many, yes,” Edelgard smiled, albeit with a strain. “It is an important holiday for one’s life, but I do not think it is necessary to be receiving wishes every ten minutes of my waking moment. I mean, I’ve practically developed a sixth sense of who will wish me one!”

“But you got it wrong this time around,” Dorothea giggled.

Edelgard’s hand faltered in the air, her cheeks flushed and the corner of her lips twitching. Out of all the times to be wrong... She closed her eyes and sighed. “It appears so.” Edelgard opened her eyes and looked at the songstress. “Tell me, what do you both wish to talk to me about?”

“Well, we know that you’re probably overwhelmed with all of the birthday wishes from everyone, but we want you to come to the cafeteria once the class is over.” Dorothea motioned to Caspar, and the fighter swiped his nose, grinning from ear-to-ear. “We figured it would be appropriate to celebrate the future emperor of the Adrestian Empire’s birthday this way.”

“Oh.” Edelgard cupped her chin, looking down at her notes. “I see.” There was another pause. Another twitch spotted from her lips. Eventually, the young house leader raised her head and smiled at her classmates. “I want to thank you both in advance for celebrating my birthday with a party. It’s an honor to have you all host it for my birthday. Though I propose we do this for everyone’s birthday as well.”

“That’s nice of you, but we’re okay!” Caspar waved his hand. “Don’t sweat the small details on us! Let’s focus on giving you the best party you’ll ever have!”

“Will the professors and staff be invited too?”

“Of course!” Dorothea clapped her hands together and tilted her head. “What kind of party would it be if we didn’t invite them?”

“I have a feeling some of them might not be able to make it…” Caspar scratched his cheek, shifting his eyes. “It would be a miracle if Manuela could make it.”

“I’m sure she will.”

“Dorothea, how could you be so sure?”

“Let’s just say a woman takes every opportunity to find themselves a man.”

“Huh?”

Caspar stared at her with wide eyes. Then, the questions came. A lot. And Dorothea brushed aside each and every question that came at her direction, waving her hands, brushing her hair over her shoulder, and smiled. Their banters continued as Edelgard watched them. She slowly rested her cheek against the palm of her hand, arm on the table, and, eventually, drew her attention towards her older girlfriend.

The teal-haired professor was busy talking to Ashe, tapping the white chalk on the scribbled blackboard, and pointing upward. As Ashe responded to one of her questions, Byleth’s gaze flickered to Edelgard. She blinked. Then, the corner of her eyes crinkled despite her lips maintaining a neutral feature. Edelgard felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks grow hot. Thankfully, the ex-mercenary looked back to Ashe and returned her full attention to the student.

Edelgard buried most of her mouth into her palm, stifling her faint, gleeful whine. Face still red, she squeezed her eyes shut.

_‘ ...dammit, Byleth. ‘_

If they weren’t in class, Edelgard would’ve kissed Byleth right about now. But alas, that must wait. After all, their relationships were not known to the public, save it for those currently in the Black Eagles House. She slowly opened her eyes. Sight back on her girlfriend, she balled her hand into a fist. Once they’re alone, Edelgard is really going to let her have it.

Soon, the hours ticked by and Byleth’s lectures on the importance of surviving in the wilderness came to a close. The school bells rang from the distance, its chimes all too familiar for the students. Linhardt gave a huge yawn as his arms stretched above his head, grumbling under his breath as Caspar approached him with the goofiest smile ever. It wasn’t long until he was dragged away by the fighter. Most of their classmates followed suit towards the cafeteria. The only persons left in the lecture hall were Byleth, Edelgard, Mercedes, and Hubert.

“My teacher, will you come to the cafeteria with me?”

Byleth, who was packing her bags, suspiciously in a hurry, paused momentarily. She looked up after stuffing most of the thin notebooks, scrolls, and teaching manuals into the brown bag. Eyebrows arched, she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Edelgard,” she said. “I have something to do.”

“O-Oh, I see.” Edelgard shifted the weight on her feet and placed a hand on her chest. “It must be important if you aren’t able to make it to the celebration.”

“I’ll try to make it, but no promises on that.”

A heavy weight settled within her chest. Edelgard’s fingers dug into her school uniform’s shirt as she struggled to form a small smile. “Well, I do hope you can make it, professor. It would be a shame if you couldn’t in the end.”

“I could say the same to myself.” Byleth glanced past Edelgard. She narrowed her eyes. The sun was beginning to set. Not looking at Edelgard, she finished packing her bag, lugged it over one shoulder, and stepped away from the podium. Byleth walked to the student’s side, patted her arm, leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, and sped out of the room. Edelgard turned and watched her girlfriend leave, her lips drawn into a line.

“Lady Edelgard,” Hubert approached the young lord. One arm across his chest, he bowed to Edelgard, saying, “I think it is time we take our leave to the cafeteria for your party.”

Edelgard nodded in silence as Mercedes, finally packed with her own academic belongings, left the two alone in the classroom after she bid farewell. Edelgard exhaled loudly through her nose and rested a hand on her hip, moistening her lips. She mumbled, “If she isn’t going to be there, then what’s the point?”

Hubert stifled a sigh of his own, closing his eyes, and whispered, “I could see that you wish for the professor to be with you.” He cracked open his eyelids. “However, it would do us no good if you refuse to attend the celebration that Dorothea and Caspar worked so hard to arrange.”

“I know that. It’s just…”

“Just…?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, but for an important occasion like this, I’d expect Byleth to be there.” Edelgard crinkled a clump of her shirt within her grip, furrowing her brows. She spat, “She didn’t even wish me a Happy Birthday!”

“I thought you didn’t want anyone to wish you it anymore?”

“Yes, but… but she’s an exception!”

Hubert couldn’t hold back his sigh. His head lowered, he asked, “Lady Edelgard, will you allow me to speak to you informally?”

“Of course,” Edelgard raised a brow. “Though you don’t need to ask permission to do so.”

“You are far too kind, but it would be rude for me to speak to you casually. We are socially too far apart to warrant that type of talk for normalcy… but I digress.” The young man reached out with both hands and took hers into his. Edelgard’s eyes went wide as he gently squeezed them. “Please have faith in Byleth. I know she means well to you.”

“...it must mean something if I had to hear that from you.”

“Lady Edelgard, your words wound me.”

She shrugged. “It’s not every day you speak well about the professor.” Their holds separated, Edelgard tapped his chest with her finger, saying, “Don’t tell me you forgot about the time you nearly assassinated Byleth after learning we were in a relationship.”

Hubert shifted his gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t try to hide it, Hubert. Normally, I would have to punish you for acting out of line with my girlfriend, but after hearing the reason why from Byleth, I couldn’t.”

“This is the first I’ve heard about it.”

“You don’t remember? Byleth told me that you thought she was seducing me, hoping to steal my virginity--”

“Oh, look, I think it’s time we head to the party.”

His interruption was forceful. Edelgard didn’t have a chance to recover from the abrupt cut-off as he gently took her hand again, tugging her out of the lecture hall and towards their festive destination. This topic never rose again once the two arrived at the cafeteria.

Large meals and pastries were set up as a grand feast. Many students were already present, with more staff, professors, and students from other houses filling into the already-packed room. A birthday hat from Bernadetta managed to land on her head as Edelgard was transferred from social group to social group, each one wishing her a bright new year into her life. Even Dimitri and Claude greeted her with their smiles, the tension the three always had with each other dissipating for this one special occasion. The rowdy, bright festivity brimming with happiness and light-hearted interactions was a stark difference from their reality. It was the one time where the students could be just that: students.

Edelgard took a sip from her fruit punch, her gaze wandering away from Annette and Felix, and to the bustling crowd throughout the premise.

_‘ Where is Byleth…? ‘_

She drank her content again, shakily exhaling after parting with the goblet.

_‘ No, I must listen to Hubert. I have to trust her. She will come. ‘_

Yet the sun had already set, the dark night sky pouring their shadows onto the land, the lights from torches and lamps providing guidance to any wandering person on campus. It wasn’t until the crickets and owls woke up when everyone except Dedue, Dimitri, Claude, Marianne, Hilda, Hubert, and Edelgard returned to their dormitory. Deduce was pulling Dimitri away from the cafeteria, the blonde lord accidentally ingesting alcoholic beverages and spouting nonsense about cheese. Unfortunately, Marianne and Hilda were on the same boat with Claude… only this time, it was Marianne that had accidentally ingested some alcohol. Her clingy behavior to the pink-haired student screamed plenty as Claude tried to peel Marianne away from Hilda with no avail.

As the background hustled with the remaining students, Edelgard’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes drowsy, and her speech almost slurred. Hubert supported her by providing a goblet with cold water, a shade overshadowing his eyes.

“If I had known that someone poured wine into the punch halfway through the party, I would have beaten them senseless,” he grumbled, Edelgard pushing his goblet aside. Hubert loudly sighed and urged the princess to take the water again. “No… I should’ve been the one to drink it. My tolerance for alcohol is higher than her...“

“HUBIE!”

Hubert nearly dropped his water, bouncing the goblet as if it were a ball, water splashing on his wrist. His efforts were wasted as an explosion of pain flared from his left cheek, the container dropped to the ground. It rolled with a pool of water spread thinly across the flooring as Hubert held the side of his face. With wide eyes, he harshly whispered, “L-Lady Edelgard! What was that for?”

“That’s for lying to me!”

“L-Lying…? About what?”

“About Byleth!” Tears streamed down her face as she roughly pushed her finger on his chest. “You told me to have faith in her! That she will come! But did she come? NO!” Edelgard sobbed. “What kind of girlfriend does that to someone she loves? Oh gosh… Maybe I should break up with her.”

“Lady Edelgard, I think you’re being irrational.”

“Irrational? You’re the one that’s irrational!”

Hubert rubbed his cheek as he frowned. He was seriously going to kill the person that made the punch alcoholic. This was the first time he had ever encountered Edelgard rawly displaying her emotions. Or rather, the first time he had ever witnessed a drunk Edelgard. Perhaps it was fortunate that the only thing she was wailing about is Byleth… However, that is an issue of its own. The young man retracted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. Just what was he going to do with her?

“Sorry I came in late,” a familiar voice sounded from afar.

Hubert’s ears perked and he hurriedly turned his head. When he spotted the professor, he himself almost wanted to… punch her in the face. Restraining his temptation to do so, he cleared his throat and ushered Byleth close. The temptation diminished rapidly once he picked out the finer details that stuck out from her. Bits and pieces of… tree branches stuck out from her disheveled hair. Fresh scratches bloodied a bit of her chin, faint discolorations blotched on her forehead. Then, there were a few new nicks on her armored parts. Those observations were soon overshadowed by a large, white box she carried. Hubert drew his lips to a line.

“Where did you go?” he asked.

Byleth gently plopped the box down onto the dry parts of the ground and patted the top of it. “I had to chase after Anna,” she said. “I didn’t expect her to leave the monastery’s ground so soon.” Byleth tilted her head downward. “And I didn’t expect her to travel so fast too… I should’ve gotten a horse or a pegasus if I knew she covered so much ground in an hour… But anyway, what happened to Edelgard?”

“Oh, she drank some alcohol by accident.”

“...by accident?” Byleth narrowed her eyes to Hubert. “I thought alcohol was forbidden on the monastery's ground to students.”

“Let’s just say someone thought it would be funny to pour some wine into the punch.”

“Huh. Did you try giving her some water? I’m assuming she didn’t drink much alcohol.”

Hubert shook his head. “I tried to, but she knocked it out of my hands… on multiple counts.”

“She’s feisty.”

“I would’ve slapped you for saying that, but I will refrain myself since I too agree with your remark.”

They glanced at Edelgard. She, unaware of Byleth’s presence, kept herself busy by mumbling to herself about breaking up with Byleth, A bead of sweat ran down their faces as the two exchanged looks.

“Hubert, let me take care of this.” Byleth walked to the nearest station where cups of fresh, cold water was served. Taking one of the few goblets leftovers, she neared Edelgard. Byleth poured the content into her mouth, tossing the container to the side, and tapped on Edelgard’s shoulder. The instant the house leader turned around, it was the instant their lips met.

Edelgard’s lilac eyes widened as their kiss immediately intensified. Water trickled from the corner of her lips as she was forced to swallow the cool water. Byleth’s hands snaked up to hold her head, her fingers gently intertwining with her white hair. Eventually, they parted and gasped for breath. Byleth, still holding onto Edelgard, quietly said, “I’m sorry for arriving so late. Will you forgive me?”

It’s unfortunate that it would take at least an hour to become sober, but most of Edelgard’s random angry outbursts sizzled. Their cheeks rosy red, Byleth brought Edelgard into a warm embrace as she heard her girlfriend flood her with complaints.

“I feel like… I don’t know what I’m feeling anymore,” she said. “Everyone wished me Happy Birthday and, quite frankly, I was annoyed with how much I’ve gotten today. It was so different from the years before I came to the monastery. I had no one but Hubert to celebrate my birthday. So I was… I didn’t care as much about it. Yet when it came to you… You, Byleth…” Edelgard buried her face into Byleth’s shoulder. “Why is it that I feel so hurt when you didn’t say it to me…? I wanted you to say it to me.”

“El…”

Byleth’s hands readjusted so she was holding the back of her head and rubbing her back, pressing her lips on the top of her head. Fluttering kisses showered upon Edelgard, Byleth whispering, “I should’ve said it to you earlier. I’m so sorry. I wanted to say it when I present to you a gift that I got.”

“It’s too late,” Edelgard pouted and rested her chin on Byleth’s shoulder. “The day is already over. It’s not my birthday anymore.”

“Actually, Lady Edelgard, the night is still young,” Hubert said from nearby. Hands behind his back, he faintly smiled, tilting his head to the side. “It’s close to midnight, but it is still your birthday.”

“Oh.”

“Hubert is right,” Byleth chuckled and parted from Edelgard, but after she gave her a kiss on the forehead. “So that means I still can give you your present.”

The enormous box that she carried with her was finally presented to the lord. Byleth motioned to the container. Permission granted, Edelgard cracked open the lid. She gasped. Edelgard immediately stuck her hands into the box and pulled out a large teal teddy bear… One that resembled a teddy bear version of Byleth, and one the size of Edelgard’s height. Edelgard wildly looked back and forth between her girlfriend and the gift, and Byleth could not help but crack her rare smile.

“How… How did you get a teddy bear this big? And… And one that looks like you!” Light shone in Edelgard’s eyes as she hugged the upper bear’s body. “It’s so fluffy too! The quality is amazing!”

“I had Anna personalize it for me. It’s an order that took at least two months to complete.”

And it took nearly all of her savings, forcing Byleth to hunt for her meal, but she decided to omit that fact. In lieu, Byleth approached Edelgard and, standing behind the massive teddy bear, took its arms and moved it around as if she were the bear.

“I know you have nightmares almost every night. Unfortunately, I can’t always be there for you since my duty as a professor to patrol the campus comes first… as much as I don’t want to do that. So, I figured this teddy bear, who looks like me, can provide you some comfort at night.” Moving the teddy bears arms forward, she encouraged Edelgard to give it a big hug. And so she did. Byleth’s eyes crinkled as she said, “If anything, think of this bear as an extension of me. I will always be there for you, El.”

Byleth poked her head from the side and gazed upon Edelgard, who buried her face into the bear’s body. The professor chuckled from the sight. How cute. This tender moment… even during times of tension and bloodshed… Byleth wrapped the bear’s arms around Edelgard and said,

“Happy Birthday, El.”


End file.
